Abstract

High-throughput nanogap formation is reported for simultaneous fabrication of integrated nanogap arrays. Ten series-connected nanogaps with butterfly and bottle shapes were integrated by using electromigration induced by a field emission current (“activation”). Initially, ten series-connected butterfly-shaped nickel(Ni) nanogaps were fabricated with electron-beam lithography and lift-off processes. Activation with a preset current of 300 nA reduced the separation of the gaps to <10 nm. Similar results for bottle-shaped nanogaps indicated that integration of nanogaps using activation is not dependent on nanogap shape. The activation method was also used for the mass production of 30 identical nanogaps. Overall, the distance between the Ni nanogap electrodes was completely controlled by activation.